Confusion
by Rhyia
Summary: Voldemort is tired of his followers many failures so he creates a weapon to destroy hogwarts once and for all.(7th yr fic starting the summer after 6th year at the end of July. major evil event from OoTP included but you'll like the twist to it. I hope...
1. A Brilliant Idea

Confusion

Rating: pg 13 (because I don't know how naughty/violent It'll get. Might even become R)

Summary: Voldemort is tired of his followers many failures. He creates his own spell, with which to destroy Hogwarts. This is the chaos that ensues and how it all begins. (Spoilers for all five books)

Disclaimer: This Will Not Be Listed In Any Other Chapter, As I Believe You Are Intelligent Enough To Realize That I Don't Own Harry Potter. (But I sure wish I could get my paws on Snape!) Every canon idea and all characters (other than the O.C. ones) belong to J. K. Rowling. Any and all non original chapters/ quotes belong to fan fiction authors on ff.net. Well used themes (like Veela's) are not accredited to any one author as there are tons of stories using those ideas.

Chap. 1                                                A Brilliant Idea 

            The room was dark. There were a few areas which seem darker. If one listened hard enough they might hear a low hissing sound. In fact if one were paying proper attention they would notice the room smelled musty. The room had a scent much like a snakes den. However the scent of snakes was threaded with a darker scent. It was the scent of death. Anyone who valued there life would be running away in sheer terror, of course, anyone who possessed the slightest bit of intelligence would have not been there at all.

            The hissing sound came from an ornate chair placed in what was the darkest corner. Seated within the chair was a living nightmare. No it was not a nightmare, more like the essence of evil. It was an evil that was well beyond the scope of any mere human. Its body was shrunken, with parchment like skin. The skins color was the same as old bones. The color was a yellowed ivory. But it was the eyes which were terrifying, eyes which burned, eyes that would destroy your soul with a mere glance. They were the color of old blood, and slit similar to snake eyes. His eyes showed the death of a world, but strangely they also showed weariness and defeat.

            Lord Voldemort was angry, and disappointed. He raised his wand and murmured a short phrase. At once the room was bathed in the dim light cast by two candles, in the corners behind his chair. The door swung open, and three silent figures entered, dropping to their knees in front of him. He gazed at the smallest of the three.

            "Bellatrix," He hissed in a high cold voice, "tell me what happened."

            "M-master," A female voice stuttered. "I-I'm not sure. There was no record in the Ministry about Lily Potter, not even under her maiden name. Someone must have removed it before we arrived." She spoke in a quavering voice. Her shoulders were trembling in fear.

            "I see. What about your mission Lucius? Tell me why you have come without the woman." Voldemort leaned back in his chair to listen. He wondered what would be the excuse used this time.

            "My Lord, the woman and her family have disappeared." He kept his eyes focused on the floor. "I even used Polyjuice and spoke to their neighbors. I told them I was doing a story on orphans and the families that raise them. Every muggle told me that they had left in their car about three days before I came to see them. Apparently they did not tell anyone why they were leaving or even where they were going too."

            Voldemort looked down at the cowering man. He had been expecting their failures. However since very few of his plans actually succeeded, he was not disappointed.  He looked at the last figure.

            "What about you, my dear Severus. How did you fair in your mission?" Voldemort did not expect him to have very much information.

            The man in question rose to his feet, and walked to his Lord. Kneeling down, he brought his lips to the hem of Voldemort's robe. He raised his head so it was level with his Lord's knee.

            "I checked the records at Hogwarts, and nothing unusual was listed. According to the records, Lily was an extremely intelligent witch, with an aptitude for charm work. Despite the records, I kept looking for information. In class I goaded Potter by insulting her, and when he tried to defend her, I simply told him to prove me wrong." He took a deep breath.

 "As I expected, Potter went whining to Dumbledore. Dumbledore summoned me to his office. Remus Lupin was waiting with the Headmaster for me. Dumbledore thought it was amusing to give Lupin Veritaserum and then he asked him to tell me everything he knew about her." At this he looked straight into Voldemort's eyes. "If there was anything special about her, it was kept a secret. Lupin did not know anything useful about her, and he was never told of any abilities she had."

            Snape returned to kneel with the others. All three braced themselves. They knew they would be punished, after all they had failed.

            Voldemort sighed, and looked at his servants. He remained silent knowing that it would cause them to believe that there punishment would be worse than normal.

            "Despite sending three of you to look for information, no new information has been discovered." He grinned manically as he spoke. "Even worse is the fact that only one of you actually found anything about her." He paused.

            "Severus come stand beside me, my loyal servant."

            Snape moved to stand beside the chair containing Voldemort knowing that he might still be punished. He looked down at Lucius and Bellatrix. At least he had done more work then the two others.

            Voldemort's eyes seemed glow as he spoke one word, "Crucio!"

            The two began to writhe on the floor, screaming at the top of there lungs. Nothing was more amusing to the two wizards, one standing, one sitting, then watching two bodies writhe in unimaginable agony. Voldemort enjoyed it simply because he loved causing pain, and for Severus the enjoyment was caused by his dislike for the two on the floor. Finally, after what seemed like hours to those being punished, but in reality was only a few minutes, the curse was lifted. Voldemort looked at each person in turn.

            "Bellatrix, Lucius you will not fail me again, for you will not survive the punishment. The two of you may leave." He dismissed them in a condescending tone of voice.

            They bowed and quickly left the room. Voldemort looked over at Snape.

            "At least you put some effort into your mission. I am pleased to see you work so hard on my behalf, but that is the only reason you have not been punished. I am disappointed at the lack of information, but I really didn't expect you to find anything. I want you to return to Hogwarts and observe the students and staff until I call you again. Now you may leave."

            Snape again kneeled in front of his Lord and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robe. He then murmured his allegiance and exited the room, leaving Voldemort alone once more.

            Voldemort sat in silence for a few moments longer, pondering his next move. Then he abruptly began to maniacally laugh. Anyone looking upon him at that moment would have been driven insane by the expression upon his face.

            "I have an idea." He grinned and then swept out of the room to set his new plan in motion. "They will never know what hit them." He snickered as he walked down the hall, and in a small room located at number four Privet Drive, a boy woke up terrified, knowing that his enemy had just changed the rules of their war.

A.N: I will be aiming to make this story very strange in future chapters. Anyone who has an idea/ plot bunny that they believe is strange (pairings other than the usual, characters with strange bloodlines – ex: Snape related to Dementors), plot bunnies that are already out there, and even OC'S with backgrounds and a rough history,  are more than welcome to e-mail them to me. I am also not worried about keeping the characters canon, as this is set after book five and people can change fairly quickly or even little by little. Flames are more than welcome as I get a kick out of people who think they know better. If you don't like it, then don't read. If you like it, I suggest putting it on Author Alert as I have a bad habit of writing slowly. Writers block seems to be my best friend. If I decide to abandon the story, I will be willing to let others finish. In fact if I get a well written chapter that fits with the story, I will include it and give credit to the author. So include your FF.net account name if you have one or a e-mail address and I'll give credit. Have fun.


	2. Unsettling Feelings

'Thoughts'

Chap. 2 Unsettling Feelings

In a small room, one that would be better suited as a prison stood a young male. To look at him, one would think he was perhaps fourteen years of age. In truth, he was seventeen years of age, and he was also a wizard. He was not very tall, and he was fairly thin. His ragged black hair tended to stick in every direction, while his piercing emerald green eyes seemed to belong to a man more than twice his age. He had seen things that would terrify the bravest man, and somehow he had survived.

Harry Potter stood by the bedroom window looking out at the darkened sky. Looking at the night sky helped him think, and after the events of last year, he had a lot of things to think on. Despite his attempts to keep his friends safe, he had caused them to be in a very dangerous situation. In fact, just over a year ago, he had unintentionally caused his godfathers death.

'If only I hadn't been so stubborn, Sirius might still be alive. I know that I am capable of putting aside my hate for Snape. I should have never looked in his pensieve, and I should have realized that my father was not perfect. I guess I ignored that because I wanted believe that he was better than everyone else. I forgot that he was only human.'

He sighed, and moved forward to sit in a rickety chair that was in front of the window. Looking up at a cloudy sky, he let his tears fall.

'Why did you leave me? Sirius I need you. What do I do now? I'm so sorry.'

He lowered his head as his body was racked with silent sobs. In the darkness he mourned the loss of the person who had been like a father to him. Slowly his sobs subsided, and the tremors that were racking his body slowed. He once again lifted his tear stained face to the skies. At that moment the clouds began to clear, and as he looked upon the appearing moon he made a decision that would change his life.

"I won't fail you! I will do anything necessary to defeat Voldemort." He paused and smirked, "Even if that means getting along with Malfoy. Well maybe I should say I'll behave myself in Malfoy's presence. I better make sure that they don't catch me pulling pranks on him. Sirius, I promise I'll pull some pranks on him."

He smiled as he moved to his bed. With a soft sigh and a whispered good night to Sirius, he let himself drift off to sleep.

**_Harry's Dream_**

All he could see was swirling white mist. Harry took a step forward, and then another. In the blink of an eye, the mist vanished and he was in a grassy meadow. Flowers were spread across the landscape, and added a quiet tranquility to the scene. A large tree, which suspiciously resembled the Whomping Willow, was situated in the distance. As it was the only noticeable landmark in sight, Harry began to move towards it. Since it was a dream, he quickly drew near to the tree. Being a bit cautious since he did not want to provoke it, just in case it was a Whomping Willow, he edged around the tree coming to an abrupt stop on the opposite side.

The sight which greeted his eyes was only possible in a dream. There, at the bottom of a slight slope, rested a sparkling lake. More important to him, was what he saw beside the lake. There spread out across a green lawn, in front of a great castle, was a large picnic. People were everywhere, children splashing in the lake, and adults relaxing on blankets that showed the house colors and crests of Hogwarts. In the middle of the group were three people who made him start running towards everyone.

"Mom, Dad, and Sirius you're all here. I'm so glad to see you guys." He skid to a stop upon reaching them, and gasped for breath. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"

They did not answer him. Startled he looked around, starting to notice strange things happening everywhere. It was almost as if everyone had gone insane. He was certain he saw Snape grabbing Hermione's rear end, Ron hugging Malfoy, and even Fred and George snogging each other. What was going on? As he opened his mouth to speak, his surroundings started to become blurry and then…

He woke up with his heart racing and sick to his stomach. He looked over at the clock as his breathing slowed. Hedwig hooted softly, catching his attention. He shifted his gaze to her and softly spoke.

"I have a really bad feeling about this."

He shook his head, grabbed some paper, a pen, and started to write.

**Professor Dumbledore;**

** Something strange has happened…**

A.N: I am doing my best to use a writing style similar to Miss. Rowlings. I am not a professional writer so you will probably notice many differences. The things I mention in relation to the past books are accurate as I have all five sitting in front of me and I am constantly referring to them. I hope to have the humor actively starting by chapter ten. Thank you for reading.


	3. The Dilemma

A.N: Didja see. I got a review. First one ever, and even better it wasn't a flame. (Bounces off the walls, drives everyone crazy, and then sets up a shrine to the almighty reviewers.) So, as you can see, I'm completely overwhelmed and dedicating this chapter to my very first reviewer Sailor J-chan/2xH 4ever/Psycho.

'Thoughts'

Chap. 3                                                            The Dilemma

            The room was cluttered, with strange objects strewn about, and the walls were covered in paintings. If you looked at the paintings closely, you would have noticed that the people depicted were moving and some were even muttering. On a perch in the corner sat a beautiful bird, with what could only be described as a perplexed look upon its face. Its feathers flickered and flashed as it shifted; making it look like it was made from pure fire. It sang a melodious trill to an old man sitting in the chair, which was located behind an ornate desk in the middle of the room. The man, who was chuckling to himself, looked towards the bird, then back at a paper in his hand.

            "Well Harry has finally been overwhelmed by his emotions," Softly murmured the man, shaking his head. "Listen to this,

"Professor Dumbledore;

                        Something strange has happened. You asked me to inform you of visions. I thought I should write you this letter even though it was just a strange dream. Last night I had what started out as a wonderful dream. I was in a beautiful meadow dotted with flowers, and in the distance I saw only a tree that resembled the Whomping Willow. I did not see any thing other than the tree, so I went towards it. On the other side was a gentle slope which ended at a lake. To the side of the lake was a large picnic, and my parents were in the center of it. Past the people there was a castle that looked like Hogwarts.

            Now I know it seems like a normal dream, but once I got to where my parents were sitting, something strange started happening. I said hi, but it was as if no one could see or hear me. Then it got even weirder. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Snape grabbing Mione in a very lewd and inappropriate manner, Ron embracing Malfoy, And I could even see Fred and George snogging each other. I tried to ask what was happening, but everything just went blurry.

            That's when I woke up. My heart was racing, I felt very sick to my stomach, and I was breathing very fast. I know that this sounds like a really stupid dream caused by stress, but I had to write because I got a really bad feeling. It's almost like something is about to happen. Has there been any word from Professor Snape? I know this sounds completely stupid, but I think Voldemort's planning something.

                                    Harry Potter"

            "What do you think Fawkes? I believe that Harry truly needs a chance to be a child, before it becomes too much for him to handle. At the same time we must not neglect his training, or else he will not be ready for Voldemort. I fear that I am unable to find a solution to this dilemma."

            As Dumbledore lapsed into thought, Fawkes flew from his perch to the desktop. There he began studying the letter. Moving slowly around it, he seemed to be examining the words, almost as if he was trying to look for a hidden meaning. All of a sudden he began trilling, and turned to look Dumbledore in the eyes. His feathers began to get brighter, and then he seemed to burst into flames before breaking eye contact, and returning to his perch.

            Dumbledore sighed and took a deep breath. The twinkle that was usually in his eyes had vanished, and his face showed his worry. Anyone who looked upon him at that moment would have thought he was nothing but a frail old man. Then, almost as if the frailty had been a mirage, he stood and looked at his phoenix.

            "You are right. I will call a meeting of the order immediately. I cannot solve this dilemma myself. Perhaps the others can find a way for Harry to be trained while allowing him to relax."

            With that he turned and began to call the members of the Order of the Phoenix.


	4. The Meeting Starts

A.N: As with most writers, my plot bunny tried to escape. The good news is it was recaptured. The bad news is that aliens used it for genetic experiments, and now it has become confused. Although the idea has not changed, the plot itself seems to be mutating. (Yes, I am very strange.)

Chap. 4                                                            The Meeting Starts

            All over the U.K, wizards and witches stopped what they were doing. Several of them headed for an old, decrepit, dirty house. It seemed to be just an ordinary house, but for those arriving, it was one of the most important places. It housed the Order of the Phoenix, and those who gathered there, were among the most important people in the war. As each person arrived there, they were directed to a brightly burning fireplace, given some Floo powder, and told to Floo to Hogwarts.

            The Order gathered in the great hall at Hogwarts. As the members arrived, it became apparent that the hall was the only place large enough to hold them all. They realized that the entire Order had been called; worried they began splitting into small groups to speculate about the situation. Many quickly decided that they had been called due to one out of two reasons. Either Harry Potter had died, or they were going to fight the final battle. A few of them would wish that one of those ideas had been accurate after the reason was revealed. One of them was Severus Snape, who was currently brewing a potion in his classroom while waiting for Albus to drag him upstairs.

            Severus was definitely an ugly man. All people who knew him agreed on one thing, which was that only the person who was stupid enough to fall in love with him, would ever think him attractive. He knew there opinion quite well, and he encouraged it because it caused people to leave him alone. He was also sure that his sarcastic, arrogant, and downright malicious attitude helped. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience. There was one setback that annoyed him. Since Albus tended to walk right into his private chambers he was unwilling to decorate them to his taste.

            The walls were made of rough grey-green granite blocks. This caused his rooms to look more like a true dungeon rather than comfortable living chambers. With only three rooms and a bathroom, it was small, and did not allow much in the way of possessions. In the main room sat two ruined chairs, one wooden, and one cloth. They sat facing a small fireplace with a cracked and wobbly end table between them. Along the largest wall, sat a battered bookshelf, however if one looked at the books closely they would have noticed that all were well cared for. In the top left corner of the room, was a small metal spiral staircase which went up through the ceiling and ended at a passage that led to the first floor. His study was through the western door, and only contained a large warped desk, and a small stool. The two other doors in the study led to the corridor and his potions office (southern and western respectively). The northern door in his chambers led to a tiny bedroom, with a narrow bed, a small dresser and also a small closet. The eastern door led to an equally small bathroom equipped with a toilet, small sink and a shower cubicle. There was no mirror.

            Albus walked in the door, fully expecting to have Severus put up a fuss. To his surprise, Severus merely bottled the potion, cleaned his caldron with a charm, and then with a smirk he walked past Albus and up to the great hall. Albus followed him up to the hall. Taking a deep, calming breath, he entered the hall and sealed the doors. He walked up to the staff table and nodding to the others seated there, took his seat. Everyone else found a seat at one of the student tables, with some of them leaning against the walls. He quickly scanned the crowd, and noticed Severus and Remus leaning against a wall discussing something. Rising too his feet he called the meeting to order, and mentally braced himself for their reactions.

            "I thank you for coming so quickly. I have discovered a matter of grave importance and find myself unable to find a solution. The matter will seem quite trivial and after stating it, I will give you several moments to think on it. Then I will explain why it is vital to our cause." He paused, and then he told them. "Harry Potter needs a vacation."

            He sat down and waited for them to realize what he said.

A.N: yes I am a Severus fan. Me bad. Out line for his rooms is      -bedroom

                                                       -potions class) -office) -study) -main room) -bathroom

                                                                                                - corridor   his rooms are supposed to be very ugly/plain. Reason for description now is so I don't have to do this one later. Yes I know that I have absolutely idiotic A.N's but at least Dumbledore's last line was good. I found it kind of funny. (Hides in closet to keep from being murdered) In this story Severus is a big jerk, like in the books. There will be an OC joining the main cast eventually. And remember that the only non-AU stories are those written by Rowling herself. No matter how canon you write it is all AU. Try to remember.


	5. You Have Got To Be Kidding

A.N: This chapter will probably be very terrible as I seem to have a case of writers block. I am hoping that even writing a terrible chapter will help me become creative again.

Chap. 5                                                You Have Got To Be Kidding

            For the first time since it was founded, Hogwarts was completely silent. The orders members sat in shock, gaping at the old man. Slowly they began to recover, and looked at their companions. As they regained the use of their brains, a whispering arose, only to be interrupted by harsh laughter.

            "I can't believe that you called us over such a trivial matter." Snape snapped at Dumbledore. "I could have kept doing my research, instead of coming up here and wasting my time. Since when is a bloody vacation reason to call a full meeting? Just send the brat somewhere and lets us get back to more important things!"

            The group broke into loud chatter. Snatches of people's conversations could be made out. The comments were not exactly flattering or polite.

            "Gone crazy…… Completely lost it…… Stress finally got to him……"

            One man stood up and called for silence. The crowd calmed down to hear what he had to say. Everyone was curious.

            "I never thought I would say this at any point in my life, but that greasy git is right. You didn't need to call an Order meeting just for vacation plans." He took a breath. "I for one think that you had better have a damn good reason for this."

            "Sirius is just ticked off because this kept him from getting laid." Remus piped up from beside Snape. "But even I am curious as to why you feel this is so important, aside from keeping Harry safe." He looked up at Dumbledore, ignoring Sirius's red face.

            "Listen to me for a moment and I will explain." Dumbledore took a deep breath and stood up. "Earlier today I received a letter from Harry about an unusual dream he had. While that is not strange, the tone of the letter and the description of what happened in the dream caused me to become worried. Harry asked if Severus had heard anything from Voldemort." He paused as the crowd shuddered. "Harry has never bothered to inquire about Professor Snapes news. That caused me to ask Fawkes what he thought of the letter. No I have not gone crazy. Some of you may have read that phoenixes can sense emotions. That fact is true. They can sense turbulent emotions from objects. Fawkes confirmed my fears. Harry has gone through too much these past years and is on the verge of a complete breakdown. We cannot afford to have him incapacitated in such a manner as long as Voldemort is still alive. Again that would not normally be a reason to call on all of you. However, I was left with no choice as I cannot figure out where to send him and who to send him with."

            "Can't we just send him to the burrow for a while, or even bring him here?" Sirius had a concerned look on his face. "That would let him relax and still be taug…" he was interrupted by Snape.

            "And he would still be around the war. If I understand Albus correctly, then he needs to be far enough away that he won't end up being constantly reminded about the war. That means he has to be sent out of country, and he has to have someone who can continue his training with him." He looked from Sirius to Remus.

            "Severus is right Sirius. He has to be somewhere peaceful and at the same time it has to be somewhere that he can have fun. We also have to make sure that he's in an area where he can be trained." He glanced apologetically at the now grumbling Sirius. "That's why we are all here. We have got to find where he can go, when and with whom." He saw Severus and Albus pass a look, and then Severus quickly left.

            The members began to brainstorm. Suggestions were tossed from person to person. Many locations were refused due to large populations. Theme parks were decided against for the same reason. After deciding to concentrate on locations in North America, someone cast two large maps on the walls. One of the U.S. and one of Canada, on both were grayed out areas. Those were the places that had been rejected. Finally Fred Weasley solved the problem of location with a dart. His brother George had been standing in front of the Canadian map. Fred had aimed the dart for his brother's rear end, only to have him move at the last minute. He went to retrieve the dart, then stopped and raised his voice.

            "Why don't we send him here? It doesn't seem to have too many people." He watched Dumbledore examine the map carefully, pulling up details about the area. Finally he stood and looked at everyone.

            "I believe that Mr. Weasley has found the perfect place." He smiled as Fred began a thank you speech and the others began talking again. "However, we still need to figure out who will be going with him." The statement caused everyone to become silent.

            "… and I would also like to thank my brother's bum…" Well everyone except Fred Weasley.

A.N: So how bad is it? I think I did a pretty good job for having writers block. Next chapter they should be choosing the person/s to send with Harry. I'll probably gloss over the majority of the preparations and trip. My grandfather died July 8 2004, so I am not sure when I will update. I have included a bit about him in my bio. Read it if you want.


	6. Friends?

A.N; It's an attempt at a new chapter. I never said it would be good. I'd like it if my reader/s would be kind enough to e-mail me there ideas of interesting names for a potion and a spell that would cause insanity and mutations of a mythological/animalistic nature. So far I'm coming up blank. --- indicates a flashback.

Chap. 6 Friends?

Severus entered the great hall and noticed Remus leaning against the wall beside the great doors. He walked over to Remus, noticing how tired and ill he looked. Contrary to popular belief Severus did not hate the werewolf. The summer after Harry's fifth year he had ended up having a long talk with Remus. Actually, to tell the truth, Remus had cornered him right after a shower (A.N; I grin maniacally as the reader faints from shock, or as the case may be, lust.) in the bathroom at headquarters while everyone else was out. He still remembered what he had first thought when Remus burst into the bathroom.

He stepped out of the shower, ignoring the thin rivulets of water sliding down his pale form, and reached for the towel. He had just started to pull it towards him when the door opened. Open was to mild a word, disintegrated would be more appropriate. His jaw dropped as he looked at the remains of the door, the towel dangling from his hand. Striding through the wreckage was a sight that many women would kill for, but it chilled him to the bone. Stopping right in front of Severus, a shirtless Remus Lupin growled.

"W-what are you doing?" He stuttered in a high voice. It was hard to be intimidating when you're wet, naked and holding a towel in your hand. "What do you want? I'm busy."

"I want you." Remus growled enjoying the look on Severus' face. "And I'm sick of waiting for you."

Severus looked at Remus and gulped. The werewolf's bare chest was heaving, its lightly contoured muscles shifted under the skin. Severus started to slowly back away while shaking his head in soundless denial. Remus stepped forward trapping him against the wall. Ignoring the pale mans shaking, Remus leaned in so his lips were by the trapped mans ears, and then it happened. (A.N; isn't this where the cliffy goes. Lol.)

Breathing gently on Severus' ear Remus whispered, "You are going to get dressed and join me in the kitchen, and then you are going to tell me why you're still such an asshole towards me." He stepped back with a satisfied look in his eyes, and walked to the door. "You didn't think I was going to rape you, did you?" he shook his head, "You're not my type. I'm straight." With that he left the bathroom chuckling.

That had day had started a strong friendship between the two men. Remus looked up as Severus joined him. Severus shook his head as he saw the bags under Remus' eyes, and he became even more worried. Leaning against the wall he started to speak.

"Are you okay? You look even worse than usual and the full moon was over two weeks ago." Severus smiled at the other man. "You know I worry about you and the last thing I need right now is more worry."

Remus grinned. "I was tracking rumors of werewolves. Some are trying to make safe houses for those who are running from Voldemort. I ended up in a scuffle with a guy who thought I had sided with that bastard. Turns out that some death eaters had managed to catch him and his family a couple days before the full moon. They kept them alive and feed him the Wolfsbane potion. They restrained him in a cage and put his wife and daughter in a larger cage beside his. They stuck another werewolf in with his family and forced him to watch during the full moon." Remus shuddered.

"Its times like this that I hate that potion." Severus shuddered. "I'm surprised that they let him live though. It's not like them."

"They did it as a warning to other werewolves. He's pretty much insane, but he wants nothing more than revenge on the death eaters. Once the war is over he plans on committing suicide at his families grave." He shook his head and looked at Severus. "The only reason he didn't kill me, was the fact that I have never tasted human blood. They have him guarding the safe house, because he's willing to kill anyone who threatens them."

Severus nodded and opened his mouth only to shut it as Albus stood and called the meeting to order. He couldn't believe his ears when Albus told them that Potter needed a vacation. He just had to comment. It was too tempting to pass up.

"I can't believe that you called us over such a trivial matter." He snapped at Dumbledore. "I could have kept doing my research, instead of coming up here and wasting my time. Since when is a bloody vacation reason to call a full meeting? Just send the brat somewhere and lets us get back to more important things!"

The hall was filled with mutters as Sirius Black stood up and spoke. "I never thought I would say this at any point in my life, but that greasy git is right. You didn't need to call an Order meeting just for vacation plans." He took a breath. "I for one think that you had better have a damn good reason for this."

Remus chuckled a bit before he teased Sirius. "Sirius is just ticked off because this kept him from getting laid." Remus piped up. "But even I am curious as to why you feel this is so important, aside from keeping Harry safe." He looked at Dumbledore ignoring Sirius' red face.

As Albus started to explain Severus thought about the new potion The Dark Lord had him create. He heard the Headmaster say his name and started to pay attention. His mind put the pieces together before Albus had finished speaking. Potter was about to crack. Even he would admit, if only to himself, that Potter had weathered past events fairly well for a child. However even Potter had limits, and if they let him have a breakdown he might never recover from it. As usual Sirius started to pipe up without understanding the full implications.

"Can't we just send him to the burrow for a while, or even bring him here?" Sirius had a concerned look on his face. "That would let him relax and still be taug…"

Severus interrupted him. "And he would still be around the war. If I understand Albus correctly, then he needs to be far enough away that he won't end up being constantly reminded about the war. That means he has to be sent out of country, and he has to have someone who can continue his training with him." He looked from Sirius to Remus.

"Severus is right Sirius. He has to be somewhere peaceful and at the same time it has to be somewhere that he can have fun. We also have to make sure that he's in an area where he can be trained." Remus glanced apologetically at the now grumbling Sirius. "That's why we are all here. We have got to find where he can go, when and with whom."

Suddenly his arm began to burn. He quickly caught Albus' eye, glanced at Remus and swept off into the night. Severus was going to Voldemort.

A.N; wow biggest chapter yet. I must be getting better at this story thingy. I need your ideas for names ASAP. So did it seem like poor Sev was going to get it from our favorite little werewolf? I thought that it was kind of cute/funny. Is it just me or has Remus become more aggressive? I guess that's what happens when you don't think while writing. I might end up needing someone to write intimate scenes, so e-mail me your descriptions of Sev and Remus so I can decide who to do those scenes if I can't write them properly. (I will try at least one. Probably make it a one shot and get you to review with suggestions/opinions.)


	7. I Do What You Want

A.N; Many thanks to Dhana who pointed that I had Sirius dead in chapter two and then he was alive at the meeting in chapter five. I did not intend to have Sirius die in OoTp, but I made a boo boo. Lol. I ended up rereading all the chapters and did some changes so they fit the timeline I am using. Having said that, now I have to figure out how Sirius is alive and why Harry doesn't know. Oh the joy. This chapter is dedicated to Dhana for two reasons. For being polite while pointing out my little mix up and for being my second reviewer. I suggest you read the review as it is one of the best I have ever come across, in that it expresses interest for the story and points out that I still seem incapable of using my brain while writing. I hope readers point out other mix ups like that. Enjoy the chapter.

---Flashbacks---

Chap. 7                                                            I Do What You Want

            It was dark and there were only trees, bushes and mist as far as the eye could see which obviously wasn't very far. Severus looked around and noticed a break in the foliage. Soft moss muffled his footsteps as he strode forward. Strange shapes loomed out of the mist as he got closer to the gap. He passed through the gap and followed the path he saw in front of him. After walking for a few minutes the mist abruptly disappeared and he could see a clearing about ten feet from where he was. He entered the clearing to see other death eaters appearing from the woods. He noticed Lucius, who was for some reason too stupid to hide his blond hair, and began to walk towards him. He stopped and stood beside the other man. Hiding his dislike for the other man he spoke softly.

            "How are you Lucius?" His voice caused the man to jump. "I thought you might like to know that I have high hopes for Draco this coming year. He excels at potions." It was true. That is, it was true Draco was good at potions, but he was to bloody lazy to make them properly.

            Lucius glanced at Severus. "I am feeling quite well tonight and it is good to hear that you speak so highly of my son. This year he will be sure to beat that Mudblood's scores." Lucius was practically foaming at the mouth.

            "Silence." The skeletal form of the Dark Lord appeared and sat in a conjured chair. "Take your places." His voice hissed through the clearing.

            Severus went and stood in his place with the inner circle. His thoughts and emotions were kept under strict control. If Voldemort ever found out he was a spy, the consequences would be ghastly. He only thought of his desire to serve. He wasn't stupid enough to think of who he served though. He was hoping that this would be a fairly normal meeting. The revels were something that he did his best to avoid, failing that he would try to remain unnoticed as he mercifully killed as many of the captured muggles as possible, before they suffered too badly. As the Dark Lord cast his gaze across the gathering, Severus heard soft sobs coming from behind Voldemort. Damn. It was another revel. He remembered the revel that took place on New Years day and couldn't help but recall the task he had been assigned that night.

---

"It appears we have traitors in the inner circle. One of whom has been revealed to me. Tell me what you know about how Sirius black died. Also, tell me what you think of Adranna Jacobs." He leaned back in the chair and waited for Snapes answer.

            "From what I could gather, Black was hit by a stunning spell cast by Bellatrix. Apparently it caused him to fall through some sort of veil. Dumbledore believes the veil leads to the land of death, and that going through it would have caused the mutt to die instantly. As for Jacobs, she is a complete and utter imbecile." Severus leaned back and waited for a response.

            "Once again you prove that I chose wisely when I brought you to my side." Voldemort closed his eyes and continued to speak. "Dumbledore is correct about the veil leading to the land of death; however he was mistaken about it causing Black to die instantly. Strangely enough that is where Jacobs enters the picture. She has studied the art of necromancy, and become proficient enough to call spirits back to us. I learned quite a few spells through talking to those brought back. Unfortunately the spirits do not remain longer than twenty-four hours, after that time they return to the dead and may not be summoned for another full month. As much as I hate to admit this, I watched and learned necromancy from her. During a summoning I was visited by a spirit that should not have been willing to talk to me. That spirit told me Jacobs managed to remove Black from the land of death, and was keeping him hidden as a play toy."

Voldemort paused to drink some water and then he continued. "I was skeptical of its claims, but on the chance it was telling the truth I monitored her activities. Not only is Black imprisoned in her home, but she has also been giving information to various groups of dark creatures. She has been helping groups of werewolves get by our people." He smashed his glass against the wall. "She has dared to betray me, and we would not know without that damn spirit. I owe a debt to it for the information and there is only one way to pay for it."

            Voldemort looked straight at Severus. "You are to convince her to show you where she keeps Black, ensure he escapes and see him safely to Dumbledore. I know it is a very strange mission but once I tell you the spirits name you will understand." He took a deep breath. "It was James Potter."

---

            Voldemort's gaze stopped at Severus. "Severus, my foolish servant, what am I going to do with you." He chuckled as the man dropped to his knees before him. "You are far too humble for your own good." The gathering gasped. "You are my most loyal servant and you seem to have forgotten where I told you to stand when last we met." His red eyes glinted as the death eaters waited for Snapes response.

            Severus was shocked, and based on the way Malfoy was shaking; he was not the only one. He gave the only answer possible. "My lord, forgive me. I did not understand. I thought you placed me there for the night only." He crawled forward and kissed the hem of the serpentine mans robe. "I never believed you felt me worthy enough to remain there." He held his breath, hoping that the bastard would be lenient.

            Voldemort leaned forward to pat the top of Snapes head. "You are more than worthy…" he paused with an evil grin, "my son. Now take your place and do not forget it again."

            Severus kissed the robe one more time and moved to stand beside the Dark Lord once again. He removed his mask with a smirk. His body began shaking with silent laughter at the posture of the others. Many were shaking in terror as they remembered times when they had slighted him. He almost broke out laughing when he noticed that Pettigrew had pissed his pants, and then saw Malfoy shaking in silent rage. He could not keep himself from chuckling softly when Bellatrix fainted and hit the ground with a thump. Voldemort looked over at him and he merely pointed at the passed out lump. The Dark Lord's mouth turned up at the corners. This was more than the Headmaster had hoped for. Severus was now the highest ranked death eater.

            Voldemort demanded silence. "In honor of Severus' new position, I have arranged for you to have some entertainment. I am sure you will behave properly." He grinned at the eager gathering. "Enjoy yourself." He lowered his voice and looked over at Severus. "I wish to talk to you. Meet me at the manor." With that he disapperated and Severus was temporarily left alone. However he was soon approached by Malfoy and the witch named Adranna Jacobs, who was a pureblood despite her last name.

            "I know what you are Severus, and I won't stop until the Dark Lord knows." Lucius stated in an angry tone. "You will pay for betraying us" Then he turned and walked away, heading for a female teenaged muggle.

            Adranna simpered at Severus and moved a bit closer. "Ignore him Sev. He's just jealous that our Lord prefers you." She batted her eyelashes at him. "Some of us actually appreciate your brilliance. I would be glad to show you exactly how much." She pressed her body against his side and ran her hand across his chest.

            Severus was revolted. Quickly he grabbed her hand and with a strong yank, sent her tumbling to the ground. "I have no need for appreciation." He sneered. "Further more, my Lord is expecting me, and I doubt he will take kindly to your attempts to keep me here." With a final glare in her direction he turned and glided away. (A.N; Think giant bat. You know… glide. Get it?) Had he looked back he would have seen her narrow her eyes in a disgusting combination of anger and lust, but he did not look back, he disapperated instead.

            Severus appeared in front of an ancient manor. He did not stop and instead he entered the house and headed for Voldemort's office. When he entered the room he was slightly surprised. It not longer held only two candles and a chair. The room was bathed in light and situated in the center was a small table as well as two comfortable chairs. Voldemort sat in one and gestured for him to take the other. Severus sat and quickly explained what had taken him so long to arrive.

            "That foolish Jacobs woman tried to proposition me before I came here. She had no subtlety at all. A child could tell that she was trying to worm her way into my bed in hopes of rising higher in your service. Perhaps by bearing a child of my line, who in her mind would become your heir. Either way I am not stupid enough to bed someone whose intentions are that obvious." He waited to see if he would be punished.

            "I am not surprised in the least. That fool woman still thinks I do not know she has betrayed me. However that is not why I have called you." Voldemort leaned forward slightly. "I have developed a new spell and a new potion that when used together should give us a way to destroy Hogwarts. I need you to stay with Potter, and keep him occupied while I continue to experiment. In fact I would be very pleased if you could get him out of the country for a week or two. Use training as an excuse if need be. You may go now." He smiled in satisfaction as Severus nodded in understanding and rose to leave.

            Before Severus made it through the door he heard Voldemort say one last thing before breaking into laughter.

            "Oh and Severus, I also want you to find someone and get laid. Bring her back if you want, you can keep her even if she is a muggle."

            Dazed and in shock, Severus returned to Hogwarts in time to hear who had been chosen to go with Potter.

A.N; The chapter is done. It's almost two am here, so I'm going to go to bed. Hope this works for the Sirius mix up. Remember I need names for the potion and spell.


	8. What's Wrong?

A.N; Well we have now managed to prove that my brain does not function properly. I still need those name ideas. You don't want me to have to write everything do you? Anyway, when I post a new chapter I tend to check the one before it again and usually make minor corrections. I will include any major corrections in the A.N's of the new chapter. As for my favorite reviewer (see chapter three dedication) sticking poor Sev with Petunia is way more strange and unusual then having Voldemort tell him to get laid. Would you like to drink something made by a grouchy Potions Master?? Didn't think so. (See I have been reading one of your stories. Alright I will grudgingly admit you wrote them well. So when's the next chapter coming out?)

Chap. 8                                                                        Whats Wrong?

            At Albus' reminder, the order members started behaving like scared rabbits. There was yelling groups spread all over the hall. A few had even started to resort to hexes. Remus started leaning on the wall again, looking around him with amusement. He noticed that Fred was sporting a rather rooster like hairdo courtesy of his brother George. George obviously didn't like having a sharp pointy object thrown at his neither regions. Remus chuckled as he noticed that Sirius was hiding under a table while in dog form. A sharp high pitched yell caught his attention. He looked towards the sound and saw Molly Weasley yelling at Minerva. Minerva decided the best way to escape Molly's tirade was to turn into her Animagus form, unfortunately she ended up running past the table Sirius was hiding under. Remus burst out laughing as Sirius chased her right up Dumbledore's robes.

            Albus was standing there with a cat on his heads and a large dog running in circles around him. Remus couldn't resist and pointed his wand at his throat. With a softly murmured _Sonorus_ he decided to put a stop to the fighting.

            "If I could have your attention for a brief moment." His magnified voice burst across the hall. "It seems that the stress of this evening has gotten to us all." Remus took a breath as the hall turned towards him. "I believe that we should take a small break, just so we don't end up having serious fights start. Albus, Minerva and Sirius seem to have decided to lighten the mood a bit. If you will direct you attention to the head table, you should end up laughing you ass off, after which I suggest we proceed to rescue Albus and Minerva." Then he whispered, "_Quietus_"

            The people in the hall turned to look at the head table. Dumbledore was smiling merrily, while McGonagall's fur was standing on end, and Sirius had collapsed at Dumbledore's feet with his tongue hanging from the side of his mouth. Then the chuckles started, quickly turning into wild laughter. The laughter finally got to Sirius and he changed back into his human form and then collapsed holding his sides while chortling happily. Minerva on the other hand was not very amused. She let Albus put her on the ground and in one swift moved she jumped at Sirius. Poor Siri had his eyes wide open and a shocked look on his face as the lovely grey tabby pounced. The laughter in the hall doubled as Siri discovered that Minerva's claws were quite sharp. Within a few seconds Minerva had scratched Sirius' face and made her way to Remus' side. There she transformed into her normal self.

            Remus looked at Minerva apologetically. "Sorry about that, but it was the only way I could think to stop the arguing." Minerva just looked at him. "Alright I admit that I just couldn't help myself. It was pretty funny, especially that last bit where you got Sirius back."

            At this Minerva became concerned. "Would you like to join me for a cup of tea and if you feel like it, an explanation? You don't have to tell me if you'd prefer not to." She smiled at him and when he nodded they headed up to her chambers.

            Soon they were seated before the fire in Minerva's chamber. Remus sighed before he began to talk. He knew that Minerva would understand better than most, more importantly, she would not condemn him for his friendship with Severus.

            "Last summer after Sirius had gone through the veil, I couldn't really cope." He sighed, "I basically let myself stop caring about things. I stopped bathing for a while and remained up in my room drinking and crying. One night last July, I was heading downstairs to grab something to eat and another bottle, when I heard voices in the drawing room. Believe it or not I was actually curious for the first time in almost a month. I started listening at the door and realized that it was Severus and Albus." There was a slight smile on his face. "Severus was bitching about my behavior. Everything he complained about Albus brushed aside with comments about how Sirius had been the last of my friends. I guess Sev finally had enough of Albus' excuses because he finally said something that got me thinking again."

            Minerva leaned over to refill his cup. "We were all worried about you. I know that I was terrified at the thought that you might mourn yourself to death. Albus told us all that if we bothered you or commented on your behavior when you were around, that he would personally silence us for a month." She smiled at Remus. "I decided that if you weren't starting to get better by the time school started, I was going to personally remove you from that room. I'm glad it didn't come to that."

            "So am I, although if I hadn't overheard Sev that night you probably would have had to drag me out of there." He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Sev said that if I didn't stop behaving like an idiot, he was personally going to poison the next batch of alcohol. Albus told Sev that if he did that he would be fired. Sev blew his top at that comment. He told Albus that even though he thought Harry got away with too much and had been reckless, he was not going to sit by while Albus let me destroy myself. He said that the only reason was that if I died it would be the last straw for Harry. I was all he had left. I stopped listening at that and entered the kitchen." Remus grinned. "I was halfway through a pot of coffee and was finishing my third sandwich when they came into the kitchen. I remember the look of pity in Albus' eyes and the look of disdain in Sev's. I asked to speak to Sev privately. I waited till Albus flooed back here and then asked Sev if he knew somewhere that I could take off to. Sev told me to grab some clothes and my wand then we went to Snape manor."

            "I didn't know it was still standing. But what does that have to do with Sirius?" Minerva was shaking her head.

            "It's pretty simple. Sev and I ended up getting along while I was recuperating, but when we got back to headquarters he started being the same asshole he was before. One day I had enough and confronted him while everyone was out. We ended up deciding to be friends even in front of the order. When Sev brought Sirius back and he found out that we had become friends he sort of snapped. He started acting like an asshole towards me and we just sort of drifted apart. Hell, even Sev accepted that I was friends with Sirius." They got up and headed back down to the great hall.

            "So basically, Sirius decided to continue acting like a teenager." Minerva smiled. "What does Harry think about it? I know that he and Severus don't really get along."

            Remus stopped outside the Great Hall. "We took care of that last Christmas. Both of them decided to be civil so I wouldn't have to spend my time running back and forth between there rooms. They were getting along pretty well before the holidays ended." Remus opened the door and gestured to Minerva. "After you Professor."

            The doors shut behind them. Dumbledore stood up and called for quiet. "We have decided to send Sirius along for company, and Remus to continue his teaching. I trust that the two of you will endeavor to help him relax." Albus was cut of as the doors burst open and a glassy eyed, extremely pale and shocked Severus Snape stumbled into the Great Hall.

            Severus grabbed onto the nearest person, who just happened to be Sirius. He looked at Albus and in a scared tone stated. "Voldemort's gone completely insane." He released Sirius and dropped to the ground. "H-he t-told me t-to… to," he was shaking his head. Abruptly Severus composed himself and stood. "Voldemort has elevated me over the rest of the death eaters. He is experimenting with some sort of potion and spell. I am to remove Mr. Potter from the country for a couple of weeks under the excuse of training." Severus lowered his head and mumbled something that only Sirius heard.

            Sirius broke out laughing. "Y-you aren't serious are you?" He continued to laugh.

            Severus glared at him. "I was completely serious." Severus made his way to the door and paused. "Voldemort has ordered me to get laid and bring the woman I slept with back here. He told me I can keep her even if she is a muggle."

            "I guess you're finally going to get some, although I can't imagine who would actually touch you willingly." Sirius started chortling happily.

Gathering the remains of his tattered dignity, Severus glared at the room once more before heading to the dungeons.

            Albus spoke with a smile. "Well it looks like Mr.'s Snape, Lupin and Black will be going. I'll make the arrangements immediately and they will leave in the morning."

            Sirius noticed that Remus glared at him before racing off to the dungeons, and it made him mad.


	9. Reassurance

Chap. 9                                                               Reassurance

            Harry Potter was lying stretched out on the stone floor of Severus' main chamber. He had originally been studying in his bedroom at number four Privet drive, when the Headmaster's phoenix appeared right on top of his book. That had caused him to go flying backward with a thud. As he landed on the floor he was thankful that once he had turned seventeen he was allowed to use magic legally, as the first thing he had done was cast a silencing spell so that his relatives could not hear noises coming from his room. Smiling he stood up and reached out to pet Fawkes head. Surprisingly the phoenix hopped backwards and then stuck out his leg.

            Harry noticed a note attached to Fawkes leg and gently removed it. Upon reading the note he pulled his wand and began casting spells. Ignoring his clothes and other belongings that were moving around the room and into his chest, he yanked open the door and headed downstairs to tell the Dursleys that he was leaving. About ten minutes later a dazed young man returned to his room. Everything, including the items under the loose floorboard, was packed neatly in his trunk. He placed Hedwig's cage on top of his trunk, sat beside it and then as he touched both the trunk and the cage Fawkes landed on his shoulder and they appeared at the gates of Hogwarts.

            Harry thought it best to head for Severus' chambers and wait for him to show up. All he really knew was that the order was at a meeting in the Great Hall. The note from Dumbledore asked him to wait outside of the Hall, while remaining in the castle until the meeting was over and they had time to talk. Harry knew that the Headmaster would tell him what was going on, if only to keep Remus and Severus from leaving the order.

            Harry remembered how when he came back to school for the beginning of his sixth year he had seen Dumbledore being cornered by both Severus and Remus. A few days later he was called to the Headmasters office and to his immense surprise Albus had proceeded to give him a Wizards Oath. Albus solemnly swore that he would never again withhold information that could lead to another incident like the one that had claimed Sirius' life. Harry smiled at the thought of how Siri would react to his friendship with Sev. Sighing he plopped down onto Sev's floor and stared into the fire quickly loosing himself in meditation.

            The main door slammed open causing Harry to jump to his feet and pull his wand. He relaxed once he saw it was only Sev. As he put his wand away he couldn't help but notice how tense Severus was. Remus came barreling in through the open door and slammed it shut. Remus opened his mouth and then shut it again as he noticed Harry standing in front of the fire.

            "What happened? You guys usually don't get this worked up." Harry said as he sat down on the floor. He looked from one man to the other. "Is everything ok? Voldemort's not attacking is he?"

            Severus just shook his head and summoned a bottle of Firewhiskey from his private study. Harry's eyes widened as Sev brought the bottle to his lips and began chugging. Remus strode over to Severus and snatched the bottle from his hands. Severus glared at the werewolf and grinned.

            "Since you won't let me drink, you can bloody well explain what happened." The potions master swayed slightly before lowering himself to the floor. He waved a finger in Remus' direction. "After you explain I want my bottle back."

            Remus shook his head. "You can have it back only if you have another bottle. Harry's going to need it tomorrow."

            Severus waved his wand and out the study door flew a potion vial. Harry watched as he downed it and immediately became sober.  Not even bothering to look in Harry's direction Sev began to speak. "I'm sure you remember that we weren't allowed to tell you what happened at the New Year's death eater revel. Albus bound us with an oath which we only agreed to because at that time we were trying to get along for Remus' sake."

            "I remember that Dumbledore even ordered the House Elves to keep it a secret. Dobby spent almost three hours crying because he couldn't tell me anything." Harry lowered himself to sit beside Severus. "He did manage to tell me that it would make me happy, but at the same time he also mentioned that he was glad I didn't have to decide while I was just becoming friends with you. Since he wouldn't have been able to keep silent if it was dangerous to anyone I knew I didn't worry too much."

            At that point Remus piped up. "We really thought he would tell you before you went back to Privet drive for the summer, but with everything that was going on it was better that he didn't. You're going to find out tomorrow morning. I hate to say it but all hell is going to break loose. As for tonight, well it turns out that Voldemort has told Sev to take you out of country for a few weeks and he's also supposed to get laid while away." Remus grinned as Harry looked at Severus, who just happened to be blushing.

            "Well," Harry spoke as he rose to his feet. "I guess we'd better get some sleep, and Severus I want you to know that no matter what happens tomorrow I wouldn't give up your friendship even if Siri was still alive and wanted me to." He smiled at the shocked look on his friends face. He turned and walked out into the corridor, but just before he let the door close he said, "I'd suggest going to bed a bit early, after all it sounds like Sev is going to be busy for the next couple of weeks.

            The two men left in the room looked at each other. Remus chuckled before speaking. "So far so good."

            Severus just looked at him. "At least until tomorrow."

            Sitting down on the floor Remus uncorked the bottle he still held. The two men began to silently pass it back and forth as Harry Potters laugh rang throughout the empty halls of Hogwarts.

A.N; It took me over a week to write this chapter (once I got started that is) because I ended up getting stuck at the point where Severus and Remus entered Sev's chambers. So how should tomorrow go? Has anyone figured out why Albus decided not to tell Harry, and why he was going to send Remus, Sirius and Harry?


	10. Trouble or Not?

Chap. 10 Trouble Or Not?

Harry woke to the touch of warm sunlight on his chest. He managed to open his right eyelid just enough for him to verify that it was sunlight he felt. What he wasn't expecting was what appeared to be a blurry face only a foot above his head. Upon discerning that it was indeed a face and that it was even attached to a head and a neck, he closed his eyelid and proceeded to tangle himself in the warm duvet. He was now safe from the evil thing that was called morning. Or at least he thought he was safe.

"I think he gets lazier with each passing day. I remember that Lily hated mornings also." Spoke a voice that was as warm as the sun. "I still have no idea how James managed to get her out of her blankets and remain in one piece. Remember that time she nailed me with that charm, and I spent the whole day singing that bloody sunshine song." The voice laughed quietly.

"Didn't you have a sign floating above your head as well? I believe it said something about not sticking your wand into her blankets." Another voice sighed. "I on the other hand am smart enough to ensure my safety before doing something so dangerous. I grabbed his wand first."

That was enough to make Harry attempt to escape his cocoon. He soon realized that there was a slight problem, and had no choice but to interrupt their chat. He looked in the direction of two human shaped blobs. "Would one of you kindly free me from this thing before I end up as its breakfast?" His question was met with laughter.

"Well duvets that attempt to devour humans are definitely dark magic. Since I am only a simple potions master I'll have to defer to our dark arts expert." He chuckled. "So tell me Remus, do you think you'll be able to subdue it before it completely devours this poor child?"

Remus levitated the bundle off the bed as he spoke softly. "I'm afraid I don't know if I can stop this dark duvet in time, but I will certainly tr… oops."

Harry dropped onto the floor. Shaking his head he reached for his clothes. Severus handed him his glasses which he immediately put on, and then his wand. With a flick of his wrist the few items he had spread around the room flew into his trunk. He looked at the two men standing near the door.

"I guess its time to head down to the hall." Harry noticed that both men were worried. He walked in to the hall and waited for them to join him. Remus walked past Harry and headed towards the stairs. Severus began to follow him but when he strode past Harry the boy noticed there was something other than worry in the older mans eyes. He reached out and placed his hand on Sev's arm to stop him. Severus looked at Harry and then a look of surprise appeared on his face as he was pulled into a quick embrace.

Harry spoke quietly before releasing Sev, "No matter what happens today I'll still be your friend." He turned and walked towards Remus who had waited for them at the top of the stairs.

Severus pulled himself together and joined his friends. As the three men started to descend the stairs Severus switched his slight grin to his customary scowl.

* * *

They came to a stop at the closed doors of the great hall with Harry standing in front of the two men. Remus stood to his left and Severus was on the right. Harry unconsciously reached backwards with his hands instinctively seeking comfort from the two he considered family and smiled when both men gave his hands a light squeeze. Harry took a deep breath and squared his shoulders before releasing them and pushing open the doors. He only managed about ten steps forward when he noticed a face that he had thought gone forever.

Sirius had watched them enter the door and smiled as Harry stopped in shock. His smile became a smirk as he caught Snapes eye and watched his shoulders start to droop. Then he could restrain himself no longer and bounded towards his godson. Sweeping Harry into a hug he glared at the other men, barely noticing that Harry had returned the embrace. Finally they released each other and placing his hand against Harry's back Sirius led him away from Remus and Severus to a seat at the table.

The meal passed without an incident and Severus hoped that Black would not upset Harry. For a while it seemed like Sirius was going to just ignore him, but as usual he wasn't that lucky. Severus was stopped before he could exit the school. He didn't say a word but just stood there waiting for Black to speak. He was not disappointed.

"I don't know what you think you're playing at Snape but I won't let you have Harry." Sirius growled in a quiet voice. "Let me make one thing clear to you if you ever go near him again I will kill you myself. I will immobilize you and then instead of being merciful and using _Avada_ you will have the pleasure of meeting Padfoots fangs." Sirius took a step back and mockingly motioned for Snape to exit the castle. Then he followed the man out the door and discovered a wand pointing at his heart. Looking up he saw, "Harry…"

"Just what the hell do you think you were doing? What gave you the right to threaten Severus?" Harry was practically trembling with fury. As Sirius opened his mouth to speak he was cut off by the young man. "Did you honestly believe that we would leave you alone with him? All of us know how much you dislike him, but you - you…"

Remus jumped in at that moment. "In all the years I've known you I have never been so disgusted with your behavior. This is even worse than when you sent him to the willow. We all heard you threaten to torture him to death. I wish I knew what has gotten into you. If I'd known you would behave like this I would have had Sev take you right back to that death eater bitch!"

Severus saw the blood drain from Black's face and spoke softly. "Enough, both of you need to stop now. I've always known that Black hates me and I doubt that it is ever going to change. There's no reason for you to fight. Besides what do you think James would say if he could see this? Remus, Harry, Black you have got to sit down and talk." He looked at Harry before continuing. "There's no need to defend me. It's not worth it." Severus turned and headed for the gates.

"Why did you do that when he was leaving you alone? He didn't even say a single word to you." With that Harry put away his wand and ran after Severus.

Sirius turned to Remus with a look of disbelief as he watched Harry pull Snape to stop and give him a hug. "Moony what's wrong with Severus?" He whispered.

A.N: Noooo. Sev's become a softy. starts banging head against the desk He's supposed to be sarcastic, and mean, and it's terrible. starts bawling loudly Now that we got that over with, I think that the attitude fairies got a little confused. Lets just say Severus is having a mid life crisis. That's always a good excuse. My writers block has been doing weird things causing me to write a chapter that won't end up in the story for about 15 or more chapters. Is a Mary Sue a character that is perfect and gets the guy, saves the day and everyone adores her? I've never come across an explanation for Mary Sues. We'll probably see you in a few months (if not sooner) so bye till then.


	11. Understanding

A.N: yippie. I opened my mail and the reviews had invaded. I almost fell off my chair when I saw how many there were. What?? Are you insane? You actually want me to continue this monstrosity. They did pose and also imply several questions which I will answer. The piece in chapter 6 is not slash. It's actually more about intimidation the whole 'scare a person senseless and they'll do what you want' routine. However I don't have a problem with slash or group pairings. I can't guarantee that this story will be slash/group sex free. James potters actions in chapter 7 will be explained either later in this story or in a one shot piece. As for it being 'one of the craziest stories I've read' (review quote) thank you very much. It means that the story is progressing along my original idea. You will be glad to know I am not drinking anything I just have a very weird mind. Now that being said enjoy.

Chap. 11 Understanding

As the group of wizards and witches headed towards the train, many noticed the lack of insults between Snape and Black. No one mentioned their strange behavior. They quickly arrived at the train and exchanged goodbyes, waving at the four males as the train pulled out of sight. Once it was gone Minerva could not help but speak of the unusual walk down from the castle.

"Just what was that?" The aged witch exclaimed. "Not one single word between the two of them. No insults or-or names. Just silence. It even seemed like Sirius was going out of his way to behave. I've never seen anything like it." By this time she had slumped to the ground, tears rolling down her weathered cheeks.

The white haired headmaster gently raised her to her feet before pulling her close. "I don't know Min. I honestly don't know." He gazed in the direction the train had gone while the others exchanged worried looks.

**_

* * *

_**

Sirius Black was sitting in a compartment alone, staring out the window and thinking about the man who had been his enemy for over two decades. Despite common opinion he did have a lot of respect for Severus at least when it came to his potion skills. His respect had grown when Snape had saved him from that disgusting excuse of a woman. He had been prepared to bury the hatchet once they were safe. Yet for some reason he had continued to antagonize Severus and he had started to treat Remus the same. It just got worse when he saw the two of them with Harry and he was trying to figure out why. Since when did he decide who Remus and Harry could talk to or even make their friend?

He raised his hand and rubbed his temple, trying to remember when their friendship with Snape had started to bother him. His hand dropped to his lap as his eyes widened in surprise. It started when he had first woke. Remus had been sitting talking to Severus and didn't notice that Siri had woken. He could barely control his anger when it had happened and ended up lashing into Remus. That didn't explain his behavior over Harry. Was he jealous? He didn't think so because he couldn't think of anything to be jealous of. The fact that Harry and Remus treated Severus like family didn't bother him after all they treated him like that. Hell, Sev had even stopped snapping at him. But what was upsetting him so badly that he would threaten Snape like that. He shook his head and with a heavy sigh closed his eyes and began to dream.

**_

* * *

_**

A low fog rolled through the trees that surrounded him. He felt leaves and twigs under his paws. He could smell the scent of pine needles. His eyes could make out traces of an overgrown game trail. Something stirred in his mind. Like a serpent raising out of slumber the need to follow the trail grew until it had overwhelmed his senses. Before he knew it, he was moving forward. His body surged down the path silently pushing past the plants on either side. He saw a rotting tree trunk blocking the path. Muscles bunched then released propelling his body over the obstacle. The moment his paws touched the earth he slid to a complete stop.

Playing in the clearing in front of him were three packmates. They seemed somehow familiar. Almost as if he knew their scent. Confusion reigned in his mind. Should he join them? Did he even belong with them or were they rivals to his pack? He had his choice made for him as they stopped and turned to look in his direction. They stood quietly as if awaiting a silent signal. The wind played through the clearing carrying their scents to him. It was enough to calm the confusion raging inside him. Their scents called to him, welcomed him as pack. But he noticed something strange was also present in their scents, something that unnerved him. Something that caused him to slink out of the shadows with his head lowered. He came to a stop before the three. Eyes met eyes and as they began to move towards him a new scent stung his nose, a scent that he knew way too well, the one smell that would wake him no matter what was happening.

The scent was _fear_.

**_

* * *

_**

Sirius jumped to his feet with his wand out. He quickly realized that he was still alone. The acrid smell of fear still lingered in the air but was fading quickly. His wand fell on the seat as he slumped to his knees. Sirius' cradled his head in his hands as tears began to flow. He understood what had caused his behavior. The thought that Harry and Remus would no longer want him there now that they had Severus, a canine's fear of rejection by his pack…

_His family._

A.N: See I managed to update. Remember to click the little button and send a review. You wouldn't want me to starve would you? 'Author begins chasing reviews with a plate in one hand and a fork in the other' Later people.


	12. Shock

Chap. 12 Shock

Further down the train sat the three remaining males of the group. Two of which were trying to bring the third out of his gloomy mood. While Severus sat on the seat opposite of him, Harry was laughing uproariously at Remus' antics.

The werewolf was currently seated on the floor with his head pushed up against Severus' knee. The older man wasn't fazed by his odd behavior as he had seen it quite often the previous summer. It was just the wolfs way of comforting a hurt packmember. Sev had in fact been on the receiving end of Lupin's comforting techniques many times. It had actually become a ritual of sorts between the two males. Remus would wait for Sev to return from meetings and then after reporting his findings the two would sit on Sev's couch and with Remus pressed against his side Severus would read while drinking tea. That was another change caused by the werewolf's presence, drinking tea after meetings instead of Firewhiskey.

Harry had finally gotten himself under control and believing the others were calm enough he started to speak. "Was it just me or did Siri seem to actually mean that threat? Normally you can tell that he's not going to really do anything but this time it almost felt like he was about to attack Sev."

Severus nodded. "You're right Harry he did seem like he was about to attack me. Even I have to admit that I've never seen Black behave that viciously not even back when we found peter. I must admit that I am even curious as to the cause of his behavior." He felt Remus move his head away from his leg and looked down at him.

"I wonder…" Remus mumbled. "I have a strange feeling that I should know what's causing his behavior, but I just can't quite…" He broke off suddenly, turning his head towards the door and listened to the sounds outside. Abruptly he shook his head and chuckled. "Siri just started snoring. I swear his snores could wake the dead."

Harry smiled. "I agree with that. Remember two summers ago when I ended up attacked by those Dementors and got stuck at headquarters. I swear he was so loud that the walls were shaking." He chuckled. "But anyway we have got to find out what's going on with him. I don't like it. What if he ends up suddenly snapping and actually tries to hurt Sev. I'm not sure I would be able to…" He trailed off hanging his head in despair.

Severus leaned forward, placed a finger under his chin and made Harry look at him. "I don't want you to think that you might have to stop him. In fact if he does snap I want you to stay out of it." Sev smiled at the young man. "He's your family Harry and no matter what happens he will always be family. Besides it's not like he'd actually be able to do anything really dangerous, you seem to have forgotten that I have had to put up with his pranks before." He smirked. "I also have faith that a bloody Potter will show up at the last moment to save me, you always do."

They both looked over at Remus as he started chuckling. "Sorry," he gasped, "I just remembered how often you guys end up saving each other and couldn't help but wonder if either of you kept count." He snickered as both males groaned and dropped their heads into their hands, or at least they tried to. However, moving at the exact same time caused them to smack into each other which in turn caused the werewolf to collapse into gales of laughter.

Harry and Severus looked at each other while rubbing their bruised foreheads. Both donned identical grins and almost as if they read each others minds, turned and pounced on their companion. The three of them spilled out into the corridor wrestling like small children. Harry and Sev had just managed to pin Remus when the look on his face abruptly changed. Both of them were pushed off as the werewolf used his superior physical build to jump to his feet and take off down the train at a run. They looked at each other and then they were running, following Remus to the only thing that could make him react like that and leaving one word hanging unsaid in the air.

'**_Sirius'_**

They came to an abrupt stop nearly bowling over the still form of Remus who was looking into the compartment. Catching their breath they asked him what was wrong.

Remus faced them, worry and fear in his eyes. "I knew that I knew what was causing him to behave like that, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. Now I know for sure what's wrong and I can't fix it." He looked straight into Sev's eyes. "Harry and I can't do anything about it Sev. I'm afraid that you're going to have to deal with it and the only thing I ask is that you think before deciding. You'd better go in Severus." Remus stepped to the side and opened the door allowing them to peer inside.

Harry and Sev's jaws dropped as they looked in and saw Sirius Black, one of the most notorious pranksters to attend Hogwarts curled up in a ball on the floor sobbing. Remus had to push Sev into the compartment before sliding the door closed again. Reaching out he pulled the saddened teen into his arms for a hug and then both men slid to the floor shocked at what they had just seen.

A.N; Sorry it took so long but I've been having a hell of a time lately. My son turned two in July and has decided that he now has the right to destroy the house. The next chapter will probably take me a while to write simply because I don't have much time to myself anymore, and to top it off I have to start Christmas shopping. I'm ashamed to admit that I really thrive on reviews that ask me to keep writing, they encourage me to write faster. Oh the joys of praise. Next chapter will be the start of horrible, pathetic, sappy and necessary Sev/Siri bonding. Don't worry both of them are straight and will not end up as lovers.


	13. Fixed

A.N: I've left out most of the trip because nothing significant happens during it. As for the fact that I stated they all are straight, I actually haven't decided whether Siri and Harry are going to be straight or not.

Chap. 13 Fixed

Severus stumbled into the compartment, his eyes wide. He managed to stop moving just short of Black's body. He couldn't believe that Sirius Black, the man who had made his life hell, was curled up in a ball at his feet sobbing. Yet there he was as impossible as it seemed. Why did Remus think that he was the only one who could fix it? Severus didn't even know what was wrong. Thankfully his ever analytical mind immediately began to tackle the problem.

'We know that Black's behavior has been erratic since he found out that Remus and I had become friends.' He thought. "That could indicate anything from anger to jealousy. Yet something tells me that isn't the case. I hate it when my instincts start acting up." Severus looked down at Sirius' trembling form. The man had finally stopped his heart wrenching sobs. "He looks so sad and helpless," mused Severus. Then his eyes widened. "What the hell am I thinking? I'm Severus Snape! I'm not supposed to have a heart. Remus must be rubbing off on me. I'm becoming soft. Gotta be old age creeping up on me." He bent down.

Sirius latched on to Severus when he bent down and started apologizing. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to threaten you I was just so afraid of loosing Harry and Remus." He clung to the other man afraid he might storm out. "I promise I'll never do it again. I promise."

Severus couldn't believe his ears. Black was apologizing to him. Suddenly the compassion that Remus had uncovered in his heart came to the fore. He found himself gathering Sirius into a warm hug and began to reassure him.

"It's okay. I'm not angry with you." Severus knew his next words would set the tone for their relationship. His next words however took him by surprise. "Of course I forgive you Siri. You're family."

Sirius Black looked at Severus and responded. "I always wanted a skinny, hook-nosed, greasy, potion making, dungeon dwelling, overgrown bat as a brother. Don't think this means I won't prank you anymore." With a huge grin he jumped up and ran out of the compartment only to trip over Harry and Remus.

Severus looked at the three males and groaned. "What have I done?"

**_

* * *

They finally got off the plane and spent a few minutes looking for their luggage. Thankfully nothing had been lost. Remus skillfully herded the group toward the car rental desk. Sirius got the keys to their car and he headed to the parking lot with Harry following close behind. Severus on the other hand appeared to be doing a very excellent imitation of a mountain. In other words he wasn't moving. Remus was pulling on his arm trying to get him to follow Sirius._**

"No way. There is absolutely no way I am going to get into a car if Black is driving. I refuse to do it. I'll walk instead" Sev ignored the tugging on his arm.

Remus finally let him go and leaned in. "You can either walk out there or I can carry you out there. Either way you are going to get in that car. Its only a couple hours drive and then were there." He moved behind Sev and started to push.

Siri and Harry walked back in. they took one look at the two men and broke out laughing. They decided to stay there and watch Remus try to get the irate potions master to budge. Finally Severus sighed and took a step forward causing Remus to land face down on the floor. Twenty minutes later they were on the highway headed south little did they know that the two hour trip would take almost three hours to complete.


	14. Finally

A.N: the longest I have heard of the trip taking is 2 ½ hours. The only exception tends to be in the middle of a snowstorm.

Chap. 14 Finally

Most students at Hogwarts would have been shocked to see their most feared professor (and the one voted most likely to die a virgin) cowering in the backseat of a car. Yet there was Severus Snape sitting in the back seat, clinging to Remus' arm for dear life. Harry was smiling and Sirius found the potion masters situation hilarious. He had managed to hide his fear of muggle vehicles while in the presence of other people but during the two hour drive to the city he had finally cracked under the strain.

Siri glanced in the rearview mirror. "We're almost there. It's probably about ten more minutes to the hotel."

"That's what you said ten minutes ago" shrieked Sev. "At this rate we won't be there till midnight."

"Calm down Sev. Look we're moving and I can see the turn for our hotel from here." Harry pointed to a large store. "All we have to do is turn left before Safeway and it's at the end of the block. We'll be there in no time at all."

They turned into the hotel parking lot. No one was surprised when the vehicle came to a stop and Sev jumped out first. The other males got out more slowly and they gathered their stuff.

"I wonder what types of rooms Albus got us." Remus said softly. "I hope we're not all stuck in a couple of rooms."

"Well we all know that Sev's got a room to himself." Siri was practically skipping around. "Although I doubt he needs it." He ducked under Sev's punch before throwing an arm around the man's shoulders.

Sev glared a slipped out from under the arm. "You Sirius are far too infantile. I for one just want to get unpacked and hop into the shower." He was doing his best to look somewhat dignified after his abrupt departure from the vehicle, but failed quite dismally when he walked into a planter filled with red and white flowers.

The other three made a big show of going around the planters in question and headed into the lobby. Much to their enjoyment they discovered that Albus had booked four rooms for them. They met back in the lobby half an hour later where they were shocked to see Sev dressed in black jeans and a white shirt. That in itself was unusual but what really caught their attention was the fact that the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up and his dark mark was displayed to the world.

Sirius dragged them outside. "Are you nuts? Showing your mark in public, you'll get yourself killed." Harry and Remus' heads were bobbing up and down.

"Actually," came a voice from behind them. "No one will bother him. We don't care what he is or has done as long as he doesn't break Canadian law." They looked at the young woman standing there smiling. "We're pretty easy going here. So it's not a big deal. Most people here don't know what it means. I know because of my idiot cousin. Perhaps you know the imbecile… Lucius Malfoy"

Harry's eyes practically popped out of his head. "You're related to the Malfoys? No way. What are you doing all the way over here then?" Harry started walking with her as the older men shared amused looks. They quickly followed after them.

"Now I know why there was so much traffic. It's some sort of festival. Not too bad for such a small place like this. Hey I smell fudge." Remus' eyes brightened as he sniffed appreciatively. He grinned at Sev and then took off into the crowd.

Severus looked for Sirius and Harry only to see them head into the crowd as well.

"Looks like you've been abandoned." said a voice to his right. He turned and looked at what appeared to be an angel.

A: N; the planter in question is about 2 ½' tall. I know the sections concerning the town are fairly accurate. I lived there for quite some time and the festival gets pretty boring after the first couple of years. But its pretty good for a small city (I prefer to think town)


	15. Hello There

Chap.15 Hello There

Lying on a small mattress on the floor was a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. The room she was in was a mess. There were clothes scattered all over the floor, some dirty, some clean. The room looked like it hadn't been cleaned for quite some time. Yet there was no food or garbage lying around. The door to the room opened and a three year old boy walked in. He was dragging a multi-colored blanket and despite the condition of his home, it was obvious that he was in excellent health. He approached the bed and proceeded to climb over the woman's body, occasionally stopping to poke at her head.

She began to stretch. "I don't wanna get up." She whined. "It's way too early. Go back to bed." A giggle was the boys only reply.

She slowly climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom to give her son his bath, after which she took a shower. Heading back to the bedroom she began digging through one of the piles of laundry. Grabbing items one by one she got dressed and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. Once she had fed her son (oatmeal) she began assembling the stuff they needed for their day out. It was time for the festival again and while it bored her she had to admit that her son enjoyed it and she even found something worth buying every once in a while.

A knock on the front door caused her to stop what she was doing. Opening it she found her sister and mother ready to go downtown. She went back to grabbing stuff as her family walked in and shut the door. Alex, her son, ran to hug his grandma.

"When's the last time you cleaned?" Her mother, Lucille, asked. "There are flyers all over the floor."

Liss looked at her mother. "I dunno. I kinda forgot about it. At least there's no food or garbage kicking around." It was the same every time her mother came over. Turning back to the bag she mumbled. "What was I doing?" Quickly going through the bag she decided they had everything they needed. "We're all ready to go." She said.

Her sister, Kirsten, sighed. "You forgot to dress Alex."

"Oh." Liss headed for her sons room and grabbed an outfit. She got him dressed and grabbing the bag and the stroller they all headed for downtown.

During the walk her mother offered to take Alex for the day. Liss agreed. She rarely got time to herself because she was a single mother. The group headed towards the park as they passed the street mall Liss decided to see what was for sale. Waving goodbye she headed into the crowd.

Making her way through the crowd she contemplated the mess that was her life. She had been an unplanned pregnancy that occurred when her mother was twenty-three. Unfortunately her mother had not discovered the pregnancy until she was almost four months along and had been drinking and doing drugs during the first three months of the pregnancy. The result was that Liss had mental disabilities. Yet she looked perfectly normal. All in all Liss felt she was doing fairly well despite her mental shortcomings.

Within a few moments she had gone from one end of the mall to the other. She stopped to look around and noticed a group of males and a lone female walking towards the booths. The youngest male looked to be in his early teens which meant he was probably around Seventeen. He had extremely messy black hair, the greenest eyes she had ever seen and was deep in conversation with the blond female.

Her eyes shifted to the remaining males, who were watching the teens with amusement. She looked first at the shorter of the two remaining black haired males. Slim but with well defined muscles he looked like an excellent lover. Meaning he was a male that when you looked at him your first thoughts were of a candle lit bedroom. Taking a closer look she noticed that he reminded her of rock singers from the eighties, the type who wore tattered jeans and leather jackets. The male beside him gestured drawing her attention.

His hair was a rich golden brown shot through with silver grey strands and his eyes were pure amber, rich, warm and full of laughter. Despite being the shortest of the three older males (by about an inch), his shirt rippled across well defined muscles giving the impression of hidden strength. Looking at him she instinctively knew that he was a dangerous man to cross yet she was only thinking one thing. 'Hello dessert' He just seemed to be sweet. Finally she glanced at the tallest male and was left short of breath.

He was tall and slender with blue-black hair and he had the darkest eyes she had ever seen. Eyes so dark it was like she was looking at an obsidian mirror. What would have been an extremely large nose on any one else looked well suited to his face, aristocratic even. The only thing that marred his figure was a strange black and green tattoo on his left forearm. At least she thought it was a tattoo. To her eyes it seemed to be some kind of gang symbol; however she was aware that she could very well be mistaken. Whatever it was, it seemed somehow appropriate on him.

As she watched his friends disappeared into the crowd leaving him standing alone. Without thinking she approached him.

"Looks like you've been abandoned." She said. Then he turned and the world disappeared.

A.N: I've hit a really big case of writers block and my life is pretty hectic so I don't get at the computer all that often. I'll try to write more soon but I'm not promising anything.


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